Hip Tip from Jack Johnson

When singer/songwriter Jack Johnson finds himself in a moment he wants to capture, he thinks of a few words to sum up the experience, and draws on those words later.

“The key thing for me is not trying to write songs, but trying to live life,” explains Johnson. “Along the way, I take pictures in my mind of the things that leave an imprint. If something is catchy enough, I’ll remember it, and I’ll want to play it again. You have to play the song enough times to let it marinate. In the process, some lines will stick, other lines will get stale, and the words will change here and there as the song evolves into a finished work.”